Jon Paul Morosi’s Radar Gun

Slowing down: Mat Latos, Padres

Latos threw a little over 120 innings in 2010, among low Class A, Double-A and the big leagues. He's at close to 170 this year. And if you were wondering if the workload/pressure would get to him at some point, consider this: Latos dropped his last two starts and failed to record an out in the fifth inning either time. In his most recent outing, he was gone after 1 1/3 innings. Without Latos pitching like an ace, it's hard to imagine the Padres moving past the first round – if they get that far. Radar gun speed: 66 mph

Jon Paul Morosi's Radar Gun

The American League traveling secretaries have it easy. With two weeks to play, the postseason field is virtually set: New York, Tampa Bay, Minnesota and Texas. As for the National League, you ask? Check back after Game 162. Or maybe Game 163. At the moment, the Phillies and Reds look like locks. But four viable candidates  the Braves, Padres, Giants and Rockies  are tussling over the remaining two bids. What if, say, the Padres, Giants and Braves all finish with the same record? It's possible. Then we'd see a three-team, two-game tiebreaker. It would be a logistical nightmare but awfully entertaining. Here's a look at some key players involved in the races, in our latest FOX Radar Gun. (We could include Troy Tulowitzki, but that would be too easy.)  Jon Paul Morosi

Speeding up: Roy Oswalt, Phillies

This is precisely what everyone else in the National League was afraid of: Oswalt is 7-0 with a 1.41 ERA over his last eight starts, giving Philly arguably the best rotation of any postseason-bound team. The Other Roy is sitting on 19 wins. Cole Hamels has a 0.31 ERA in his last four outings. Just scary. Radar gun speed: 99 mph

Speeding up: Vladimir Guerrero, Rangers

Think Vlad – a .404 hitter over his past two trips to the postseason – is ready for October? Guerrero slugged better than .650 during the Rangers' recent seven-game winning streak. His menacing bat has enabled Texas to get by without MVP candidate Josh Hamilton. At one year and $6.5 million, he was one of the wisest signings anywhere in baseball this season. Radar gun speed: 97 mph

Speeding up: Adrian Beltre, Red Sox

The Red Sox could be eliminated by week's end, meaning Beltre probably won't see the playoffs this year. But September has been the prospective free agent's best month this season, which should help agent Scott Boras with his sales pitch. Expect Beltre to pick a hitter-friendly ballpark; he was a bad fit at expansive Safeco Field from 2005 through 2009. Radar gun speed: 97 mph

Speeding up: Matt Holliday, Cardinals

There's plenty of blame to go around for the Cardinals' epic spill in the National League Central. But don't look at Holliday. He could finish with 30 homers and 100 RBIs for the first time since 2007, when he finished second in the NL MVP balloting. And he's batting close to .400 in September. So far, he has proven to be a wiser investment than free-agent classmate Jason Bay. Radar gun speed: 93 mph

Speeding up: Jonathan Sanchez, Giants

The book on Sanchez has been the same for years – great stuff, inconsistent performance. That may be changing. First, he threw the no-hitter last year. More recently, he has been perhaps the Giants' most consistent starter. Sanchez is 3-0 with a 1.83 ERA over his last six outings. He's already won a career-best 11 games. If the Giants reach the playoffs for the first time since 2003, it will be due in large part to Sanchez's September efforts. Radar gun speed: 91 mph

Slowing down: Tim Hudson, Braves

Hudson ended his three-start losing streak with a well-pitched effort against the Mets on Saturday (seven innings, two earned runs). But the Braves have stalled in the NL East, particularly in comparison to the surging Phillies. And while Hudson has been Atlanta's staff ace this year after recovering from Tommy John surgery, he's already surpassed the 200-inning mark for the first time since 2007. Will the workload become an issue? Radar gun speed: 74 mph

Slowing down: Carlos Pena, Rays

First, it's important to note that Pena is probably playing in pain. He was sidelined with a right plantar fascia sprain last month – the sort of injury that doesn't disappear with one stay on the disabled list. That said, it's hard to imagine the Rays winning a World Series without better production at first base. Since returning from the DL, Pena is batting well under .200 with an average of more than one strikeout per game. Radar gun speed: 72 mph

Slowing down: Mark Buehrle and Edwin Jackson, White Sox

Yes, it's easy to blame Manny Ramirez for Chicago's sudden tumble from relevance. But the real story has been the abrupt decline in the starting rotation – the team's strength through the middle of the season. Jackson, Buehrle and Gavin Floyd all have September ERAs north of 6.00. That's enough to sink any contender. Radar gun speed: 68 mph

Slowing down: Austin Kearns, Yankees

The Yankees were aggressive shoppers in July, because they can afford to add when others can't. Kerry Wood has outperformed even the most optimistic projections in the bullpen, and Lance Berkman has rediscovered his stroke. But Kearns has been a disappointment. Entering Saturday, he had just one RBI and a .146 batting average in his past 17 games. Why not give more at-bats to Marcus Thames? Radar gun speed: 67 mph